India and Pakistan do not seem to be on the same page on how to move forward in the Pathankot airbase terror attack investigations as they were engaged in a war of words on Thursday over the Terms of Reference and the probe process.
Hitting back at Islamabad for Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit’s allusion that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) may not be allowed to question suspects in Pakistan, India said that the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was allowed here only on a reciprocal basis.
India also snubbed Basit’s statement that talks between the two neighbours were suspended, saying Pakistan’s own Foreign Office in Islamabad has stated that the two countries are in touch and talks will happen.
Pakistan has alleged that India did not allow questioning of security personnel involved in neutralising the terrorists and indicated that the NIA may not be allowed to question suspects and carry out a probe on its soil.
“It is very difficult for me to say. But at this stage... the whole investigation is not about the question of reciprocity in my view. It is more about extending cooperation or our two countries cooperating with each other to get to the bottom of the incident,” Basit said on Thursday about NIA’s visit to Pakistan, while interacting with the media at the Foreign Correspondents Club.
Disapproving Pakistan’s assertions, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the JIT’s visit to India was on a reciprocal basis and in accordance with the existing legal provisions. Swarup also refuted charges by the Pakistani Foreign Office made on Wednesday that the Indian authorities did not produce witnesses belonging to the Indian security forces before it.
“The Ministry would like to clarify that on March 26, 2016, before the visit of the JIT, the Indian High Commission formally conveyed to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry that the Terms of Reference are ‘broadly agreed to with the proviso that these would be on the basis of reciprocity and followed in accordance with extant legal provisions.’ Subsequently, the JIT visited India from March 27 to April 1, 2016,” Swarup said.
Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs added that Pakistan had agreed its JIT won’t get access to Defence personnel. “It was agreed much in advance of Pakistan’s JIT’s visit that they would not get access to any Defence personnel involved in the Pathankot operation,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Basit blamed India for destablising Pakistan while talking about the arrest of ex-Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistan. He denied the claim of former German Ambassador in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Syria, Gunter Mulack that Jadhav was sold to Pakistan by the Taliban.
“The recent arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan irrefutably corroborates what Pakistan has been saying all along. We all are aware of those who seek to create unrest in Pakistan and destabilise the country. They are bound to fail, as the people of Pakistan are united to effectively counter anti-Pakistan subversive activities. In the last one month, our authorities have arrested scores of terror operatives with foreign linkages. The presence of such elements is quite disturbing to say the least…Some more arrests are likely to be made in the coming days,” Basit said.
However, the envoy did commit on when India would get Consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, saying India’s request is under consideration.
On the pending Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries, Basit said the talks are suspended at the moment as India is not ready for it. Reacting to this, India pointed out that the spokesman of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry has given a contradictory statement in Islamabad on Thursday saying both countries are in contact with each other and it has been reiterated from both sides that modalities are being worked out.
The Pakistani spokesperson even added that negotiations are the best means to resolve the issues and the statement of the Indian Foreign Secretary indicates that the talks would take place.
Basit also mentioned that Jammu & Kashmir remains the core issue of the problem between the two countries. “let’s be realistic. It is the Jammu & Kashmir dispute that is the root cause of mutual distrust and other bilateral issues...Attempts to put it on the back burner will be counterproductive,” Basit said.
On China’s stand in United Nations blocking India’s request to list Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar among the list of banned individuals, Basit said Pakistan subscribes to the Chinese view.